Agencies partner on processes to cut rejection of agro-exports

To stop the persistent rejection of Nigeria’s exported agro-products in Europe and other parts of the world, some agencies of the federal government are forging partnership to end the demurrage and enable Nigerian entrepreneurs to participate in the agro export value chain.

The agencies involved are the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) that are working towards streamlining the processes required for getting produce certified.

Daily Trust reports that the issue of rejection of Nigeria’s farm products has become a recurring decimal but stakeholders in an effort being championed by the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee set up by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have vowed to change the trend and ensure Nigeria becomes the number one agro-product exporter.

The aviacargo committee visited the laboratories of the agencies to have first-hand knowledge of the processes involved in certifying commodities for export. Other agencies visited were the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Katchey Laboratory. The visit was to ensure appraisal of the challenges faced by exporters in meeting the required standard for export.

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Speaking at the NAFDAC central laboratory in Lagos, director of Laboratory Service, Dr Charles Nwachukwu, blamed farmers for using harmful chemicals to preserve their farm produce, thus making the products fall short of the international standards.

Coordinator of the aviacargo committee, Mr Ikechi Uko, said part of the reasons for visiting the laboratory was to understand the processes agro-products pass through to get certified before export.